At the recent Jakarta Forum on ASEAN-China Relations, leaders and experts gathered to celebrate the deepening economic ties between ASEAN and China. The event highlighted how both sides have made significant progress in trade, investment, and people-to-people connectivity.
Founder and Chairman of the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia, Dino Patti Djalal, who co-hosted the forum with the Mission of the People’s Republic of China to ASEAN, opened the discussion by emphasizing the importance of people-to-people connections in strengthening ASEAN-China relations.
“It’s not just trade or investment, nor is it even just the university exchanges… it’s really about a deeper, wider engagement of people connecting with people,” says Djalal.
His remarks set the tone for the forum, highlighting that the relationship between ASEAN and China goes beyond economics and is rooted in mutual understanding and collaboration.
At the forum, panellists discussed how businesses, governments, and civil society can further strengthen ASEAN-China relations.
ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn discussed the impressive growth in the trade relationship between ASEAN and China.
Since China became ASEAN’s largest trading partner in 2009, bilateral trade has skyrocketed, from 178 billion that year to 696.7 billion in 2023.
Additionally, Chinese investments in ASEAN have risen nearly sevenfold over the past two decades, from 1.2 billion to 17.3 billion in 2023.
“These impressive numbers tell a compelling story of our deepening economic ties and shared prosperity,” says Hourn.
The forum also underscored the importance of digital connectivity in boosting ASEAN-China cooperation.
Malaysia’s Permanent Representative to ASEAN, Sarah Al Bakri Devadason, stressed the need for digital infrastructure that benefits both sides, especially under frameworks like the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity and China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
According to China Ambassador to ASEAN Hou Yanqi, one of the most significant developments in the relationship between ASEAN and China is the establishment of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2021.
She highlighted the success of this partnership in creating a peaceful, prosperous, and secure region.
“Since the establishment of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the two sides have achieved remarkable results in building a peaceful, safe, and secure, prosperous, beautiful, and amicable home together,” says Devadason.
She also pointed to the substantial progress made on the China-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement 3.0 negotiations, which focus on reducing non-tariff barriers, increasing connectivity, and promoting digital and green economies.
Among the key figures contributing to the discussions were Indonesia’s Director of ASEAN Negotiations, Dina Kurniasari, and Executive Director of the ASEAN Center for Energy, Beni Suryadi. They emphasized the role of enterprises in promoting greater connectivity between ASEAN and China, particularly in energy and sustainability sectors.
A central theme at the forum was the role of people-to-people exchanges. As part of their commitment to fostering closer ties, ASEAN and China have agreed to expand cooperation in fields such as education, public health, youth engagement, tourism, and scientific innovation.
Youth exchanges, in particular, are crucial to deepening China-ASEAN relations as young people are the trailblazers for the future in the face of global challenges and uncertainties.
Kao highlighted the Joint Statement on Deepening Cooperation in People-to-People Exchanges, which was adopted at the recent ASEAN summit in Vientiane, Laos.
This statement aims to build a “closer ASEAN-China community with a shared future,” focusing on shared values and collective prosperity.
Director-General of the International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals, Guo Huadong, emphasized the importance of fostering collaboration among young scientists from both regions.
“We should pay attention to using science, innovation, and especially big data,” says Huadong.
According to Huadong, his office recently hosted 15 young scientists from Indonesia’s geophysics agency in Beijing, where they learned about using big data for environmental and earthquake monitoring—as one example of the kind of innovative exchanges that are helping drive ASEAN-China cooperation forward.
